Newell’s fairy-tale story continued Friday as he needed just 82 seconds to submit the favored Eric Reynolds to win XFC’s lightweight title. Newell remained unbeaten and now has eight of his nine wins by first-round stoppage.

But more importantly, he has a piece of hardware around his waist after a quick victory at “XFC 21: Night of Champions.”

XFC 21 took place Dec. 7 at Nashville Municipal Auditorium in Tennessee. The six-fight main card aired live on AXS TV.

When asked if he had some kind of an advantage when he locked in a rear-naked choke against Reynolds since Reynolds wasn’t able to find a left hand to pull away to free the choke, Newell took to task anyone who may have doubted how he got to where he is.

“Everyone has different body types and advantages and disadvantages,” Newell said. “I got that choke because I train it. I got that choke because I work it every day. I got that choke because I work hard. I didn’t get it because of the way I was born. I got it because of my technique.”

Newell tired to bully things to the ground early, then fired off some high kicks that got Reynolds’ attention. A Reynolds kick was caught by Newell, and he picked him up for a big suplex. He then quickly took his back and wrapped up a tight body triangle.

Newell cinched on a rear-naked choke, and it was picture-perfect. Reynolds stood up and tried to pry his way out. But it wasn’t happening. Newell fell to his back, still attached to Reynolds, and Reynolds soon was forced to tap at 1:22 of the first round.

Newell said he expected more of a test, but he wasn’t going to pass on the wide-open choke.

“I trained for more than five rounds,” he said. “I was ready for a war. But if you see an opportunity, you take it. I’m an opportunist – that’s why I have eight first round finishes. And I just kept doing what I’m doing.”

Newell said Reynolds may have underestimated his ground game, which he set up with the early kicks.

“I’ve always had good kicks, and I knew once I got a hold of him I could overpower him. I think he was sleeping on my submissions. He’s a world-class grappler, and I’m thinking he was thinking he could get out. But I’m a different type of grappler.”

Newell (9-0) remained perfect and is 4-0 under the XFC banner. The submission was his sixth in nine fights. Reynolds (16-6), a Bellator veteran, had a three-fight win streak, all in the XFC, snapped with the loss.

Thomas stops Hill with first-round armbar

Corey Hill’s return to the XFC for the first time in a year didn’t go quite as he hoped. Ryan Thomas was there to spoil things.

Hill quickly shot and landed a takedown and tried to work to side control. Thomas powered back to his feet, though, and the two scrambled along the cage jockeying for position. Hill got the fight back to the ground, but it was Thomas looking for a triangle or an armbar from the bottom as Hill worked out of his guard.

But Hill taking Thomas down proved to be his undoing. Hill stood up and slammed Thomas down on his head from Thomas’ guard. But Thomas grabbed his left arm and wouldn’t let go. He turned it over and quickly forced Hill to tap 2:34 into the fight.

“I thought he was going to strike with me and I was going to have to eat a lot of his leg kicks,” Thomas said. “But he’s an awesome wrestler, and he took me down and I just had to roll with it. I’m good off my back – I’m comfortable anywhere. So it worked out good. I wanted to strike with him, but I knew if I went to the ground I’d be all right.”

Bellator vet Thomas (15-7) won for the third straight time and second time for the XFC. Hill (6-4), a UFC vet best known for the gruesome leg break he suffered on a kick against Dale Hartt four years ago this weekend, had a two-fight streak snapped with the loss.

Eggink takes decision from Clark, calls out Herrig

One of MMA’s best cliches is when a fighter is asked what’s next, the answer typically comes back: “Whoever they wanna give me.” Stephanie Eggink doesn’t subscribe to that philosophy.

Eggink worked a well-rounded game that included some pinpoint boxing and multiple close submission attempts to take a unanimous decision against Heather Clark. Then Eggink called out XFC veteran Felice Herrig, saying she hopes to fight her next. Herrig fights next week at Bellator 84.

Whether that’s a fight XFC makes in 2013 remains to be seen. But what was seen Friday was Eggink’s emergence in just her third fight as a potential new up-and-comer on the horizon at 115 pounds.

Clark landed a couple early right hands in a flurry, then a couple more followed by a left hand. Clark looked to brawl early and got the best of things. They clinched 75 seconds into the fight, but neither fighter was able to inflict much damage along the cage.

Eggink looked for a takedown, and then tried to throw her legs up for a flying triangle. But she missed and wound up on her back. There, she looked for a triangle, then an armbar. She lost it, but got it back and looked for a finish – though Clark was able to survive the round.

Clark took the fight to the ground again in the second – and again it looked like that might be her downfall as Eggink locked up another triangle. But Clark survived it and looked to take Eggink’s back for a rear-naked choke. Eggink reversed things, though, and soon had Clark’s back looking for a choke followed by ground-and-pound to soften her up. Had Eggink kept pounding instead of alternating looking for the choke, she might have gotten the stoppage – but instead, Clark lived to see the third.

The third round took a bit of a more careful pace for Eggink as Clark looked for a way to finish. But it was Eggink dancing around and timing her punches as time worked against Clark. Clark tried for a late takedown, but Eggink had none of it.

“It always takes me a couple punches in the face to realize where I’m at, and it works,” Eggink said. “Felice Herrig. I want Felice Herrig on the next card.”

Stephanie Eggink (2-1) picked up her first win of 2012 after a March loss dropped her to 1-1. Clark (5-3), a product of Jackson’s MMA, falls back in the loss column and drops to 1-2 under the XFC banner.

Head butt from Finch stops West in first round

So much for a good homecoming for Dustin West. The Nashville native and resident walked away on the wrong side of a 46-second knockout against Marcus Finch – though he may eventually get some vindication.

Both fighters threw early rights that landed, and then West measured a right that landed right down the middle.

But then a right hook landed for Finch, and as he moved in, while looking to throw a left hook, he head-butted West – and that put him on the mat. No sooner did the hometown favorite hit the canvas was referee Nate Jolly in looking to shut things down for what he would officially rule a knockout 46 seconds into the fight.

West is likely to appeal the loss, and it would appear that he may have a good chance at having the outcome overturned to a no contest from the accidental head butt.

For now, Finch (7-6) gets back above .500 and wins for the second straight fight by first-round knockout. In October, he picked up a 14-second KO in regional competition. West (6-6) falls back to .500 with his second straight setback after a stretch that saw him win four of five.

Rainey makes quick work of Wallace

Ricky Rainey showed patience and poise against Donny Wallace, and then poured it on.

Wallace charged forward wildly 30 seconds in, and Rainey nearly made him pay with a Thai clinch and a knee. Again he came forward nearly a minute later, and again he nearly paid the price.

But a few seconds later, Rainey’s reach advantage came calling. He landed a right hand that planted Wallace. He landed a few more shots as Wallace tried to bounce back to his feet. But as Wallace hit the ground again, it didn’t take long for the ref to show him some mercy as Rainey moved in looking to land some powerful punches.

Rainey (4-1) got back in the win column following an August knockout loss to Johnny Buck at XFC 19. Wallace (5-4) continues to alternate wins and losses and has now dropped four of his past six fights after a 3-0 start to his career.

Card chokes out Richardson

If you’re going to snap a losing skid, you might as well do it impressively. And that’s what Jarrod Card did, putting Keith Richardson to sleep just 24 seconds into the second round to open the night’s main card.

Richardson worked good combos early against Card, and when Card tried to keep him at bay, Richardson was successful in pushing things to the cage. About 90 seconds in, Card looked for a takedown and got it, fending off a Richardson defensive guillotine attempt. Once back to his feet, Richardson looked to slug it out and slipped on the mat. When he popped up, Card threw on a standing guillotine, but couldn’t hold it – that would have to wait a few minutes.

Right away in Round 2, Card threw a left hook at the same time as Richardson. Card’s landed and dropped Richardson quickly to the mat. Card followed his opponent to the floor immediately to look for ground-and-pound. But as Richardson turned over, Card threw on a guillotine choke and tightened it up to put Richardson out.

Card (13-6), XFC’s former featherweight champion, snapped a three-fight skid with the victory. Richardson (7-4) had a two-fight streak ended.

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